A Letter to the Chinese Community at Duke

Zihui and I arrived in US on the same flight three years ago and she has been a great friend to me since then.
She has been suffering from the relationship with her advisor but did not bring this up to public until now. Being her friend, I wish I had done more than I did. No one wants to see this happen, but I believe this is her last choice. She wouldn't have made this choice if she could find a better way out. The university's responsibility is to educate people, not destroy people. Failure to help students in trouble simply signals failure in the education system. Zihui does not deserve what she has gone through and what she is facing.
I have been at Duke Graduate School for three years and I have seen many cases where graduate students suffer from bad relationships with their advisors. Many of them choose to be silent, and thereby made the problems invisible to the school. Being international, it is not easy to survive. Zihui unfortunately became an extreme case, where she has to fight for her rights. Her courage deserves support.
Let's unite and defend our college and friend. Please help support her and get her voice heard!

We are with you, Zihui. Be strong.
Tong Ren